Coupler



March 2, 1937, W, J REGAN 2,072,606

COUPLER Filed June 28, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l March 2, 1937. W, J, REGAN2,072,606

COUPLER Filed June 28, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. J. REGAN March 2, 1937.

COUPLER Filed June 28, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 .4 atten/nag! March 2,1937.

w. J. REGAN 2,072,606

COUPLER Filed June 28, 1954 5 sheets-Sheet 4 March 2, 1937. W L REGAN2,072,606

COUPLER Filed June 28, 1954 5 Sheet-Sheet -5 Patented Mar. 2, 1937PATENT OFFICE Application .lune 28, 1934, Serial No. 732,898

ril Claims.

My invention relates to car couplers and is particularly designed toprovide a strong and reliable operating structure of comparatively lightWeight which may be easily dismantled and aso sembled and wherein theknuckle-opener and lock are spring actuated.

A coupler constructed according to my invention is well suited forapplication to passenger cars and advantageous in that the lockingmechanism thereof is adapted to be actuated by a rotary type of releasemechanism or by a pull rod type of release; and said locking mechanismis well adapted to be moved to unlocked position by means of a simplelever, and a completely tted coupler may be conveniently carried on thetrain for use in case of emergency,

The principal feature of the invention consists in providing the couplerwith a horizontally sliding lock which is normally maintained in locked20 position by means oi a spring, and combining therewith a horizontallyrotatable knuckleopener to which is pivotally connected a link betweenWhich and said lock the spring is operatively interposed.

A further feature of the invention consists in so forming and relatingthe coupler knuckle, knuckle-opener and lock that the head of thecoupler may be provided with a bearing surface for the lock which islocated opposite the por- 30 tion of the lock with which the knucklecontacts,

thereby affording adequate support for the lock against forcescommunicated thereto by the knuckle and at the same time avoiding anytendency of the lock to shift angularly and thereby 35 bind during anunlocking operation.

There are other features of invention residing in the particular formsof elemental construction and combinations oi parts, as will hereinafterappear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a coupler embodying the invention, arrangedfor a pull rod type of release mechanism for the coupler lock.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the con 45 struction shown inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view partly in plan and partly in horizontalsection, the parts being in the position they occupy when the coupler islocked.

Figure 4l is'a detail view corresponding to Figure 3 but illustratingthe positions assumed by the parts during an unlocking movement of thecoupler lock and just before the knuckle is released lor openingmovement.

Figure 5 is a detail view partly in plan and partly in horizontalsection illustrating the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4,inclusive, the parts being in the positions they occupy when the knucklehas been rotated by the knuckle opening device.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on the line @-65 of Figure 5, theparts being in the positions they occupy when the knuckle is fully open.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 'll-1 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a detail plan View of the coupler lock.

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view on the line 9--9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a detail sectional View on the line lli--lil of Figure 9. v

Figure 1l is a detail plan view of the knuckleopener lever andassociated link by which it is actuated.

Figure 12 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a plan View of the form of lock releasing lever embodied inthe construction shown in Figures 15, 16 and 17.

Figure 14 is a detail sectional view of the lock releasing lever on theline llllll of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a plan view of the coupler as arranged for a rotary type ofrelease.

Figure 15 is a side elevational View of the construction shown in Figure15.

Figure 1'7 is a detail view in transverse section of the mechanismillustrated in Figures 15 and 16.

Figure 18 is a plan view of the coupler as arranged for a type ofrelease intended for emergency use.

Figure 19 is a side elevational View of the construction shown in Figure18.

Figure 20 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in transversesection, of the construction shown in Figures 18 and 19.

In the drawings Iv indicates the head and 2 is the shank or stem of thecoupler. 'I'he stem of the coupler is preferably formed at its rear endwith an opening 3 for receiving a tail pin serving to pivotally connectthe coupler to the draft gear carried by the car with which it isassociated.

The pivoted knuckle 4 of the coupler is preferably mounted on thecoupler head by a knuckle pin 5 which may advantageously be of thedownwardly removable type, said pin being normally supported inassembled position by an underlying headed pin or supporting member 6which passes through suitable openings in the lower portion which, whenthe parts are in locked position, is interposed between the bearing face9 of the knuckle tail 8 and an oppositely disposed bearing surface I2with which the coupler head is provided on its interior on the guardarmside. The bearing face I2 extends forwardly so as to be co-extensivewith the surface of the knuckle which engages the lock, thus enablingthe forces which are transmitted to the lock from the knuckle to beefciently resisted without tendency of twisting the lock. The surface I2extends rearwardly for a distance suflcient to support and guide thelock throughout its entire range of movement.

For guiding the opposite side of the lock the lower portion of thecoupler head is provided on its interior with an upstanding lug I3 whichmay advantageously be formed as a part of the pivot boss I4 forpositioning the knuckle opener I5 in the coupler head. The surface ofthis lug which is adjacent the sliding lock II is disposed vertically ina plane parallel to the knuckle engaging face I 0 of the lock andcooperates therewith in all operaf tive positions the lock may assume.

The lock is provided with a portion I6 which extends rearwardly beyondthe coupler head I into the coupler stem 2, such portion of the lockpreferably being of somewhat less width than the forward portion of thelock which receives the transverse thrusts from the knuckle. To assistin guiding the lock during its sliding movements the coupler body isprovided on its interior at approximately the junction of its head andstem with a rib or lug I1 which is adapted to cooperate with theneighboring side of the rear extension I6 of the lock.

The sliding lock is provided with a rearwardly opening pocket I8, andits rearwardly extending portion I 6 is formed with vertically alinedlongitudinally extending slots I9 which are closed at their rear endsand communicate with said pocket. Within the pocket of the lock a coiledspring 20 is disposed. 'I'he forward end of this spring bears againstthe sliding locking block II while its rear end bears against a springseat 2| which is slidably mounted within the pocket or chamber I8 of thelock. This spring seat is preferably provided with a forwardly extendingcylindrical pin which, by entering the bore of the spring, serves tomaintain it in assembled position and restrain it against any bucklingtendency. The spring seat has a vertically extending cylindrical opening22 for receiving the correspondingly formed downwardly extending pin orpintle 23 with which the link 24 that connects the spring seat andknuckle-opener I5 is provided at its rear end. As shown in the drawings,the rearward extension I6 of the coupler lock may be provided withhorizontally alined slots or openings 25,` thereby affording clearancefor the spring 2|] with a minimum width of the lock extension I6, and atthe same ,time decreasing the amount of metal in the lock. The knuckleopener I5 is of the bell-crank lever type. It is formed with a curvedarm 26 which extends behind the knuckle tail 9 for cooperating therewithto rotate the knuckle to open position, and itis provided with an arm 21for pivotal connection to the forward end of the link 24. The arm 21extends over the upper face of the sliding coupler lock II and therebyserves to prevent it moving upwardly while the arm 26 which engages theknuckle is preferably at a lower elevation, the two arms beingintegrally united by -a cylindrical sleeve portion 28 which isperforated to receive a pivot pin 29 by which the knuckle-opener isrotatably mounted on the coupler head.

The upper arm 21 of the knuckle-opener is pivotally connected to thelink or operating bar 24, being for that purpose preferably bifurcatedat its outer end to receive the forward end of the link. The cooperatingends of the knuckleopener and link are perforated to receive a pivot pinwhich may advantageously be a rivet 3D.

As a means for actuating the sliding lock I I to effect an unlockingmovement thereof, the coupler is provided with a lock releasing memberwhich is positioned beneath the coupler headj and is pivotally connectedthereto, preferably by the pivot pin 29k upon which the knuckle openerI5 rotates. The drawings disclose three desirable forms of thishorizontally rotatable lock releasing member, each form including alever arm to receive applied power and a vertically extending pin ornger which is spaced from the axis of rotation of the lock releasingmember and projects upwardly through the lower wall of the coupler headinto the recess in the lock II.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, the rotary lockreleasing member 3|, which is journaled upon the pivot pin 29, isprovided at the outer end of its arm 32 with a vertically extending pin33 which passes upwardly through an arcuate slot 34 in the bottom wallof the coupler head and enters a recess 35 in the lock II, the saidrecess being of a size to permity the pin 33 to cooperate with the lockwithout binding and preferably being open toward the guard-arm side ofthe coupler head. For actuating it, the lock releasing lever 3| isfashioned with a lever arm 36 which is provided at its outer end with anopening to permit the connection thereto of a pull rod (not shown)extending to the side of the car. This form of rotatable lock releasingmember is especially suited for operation from the left side of the carby means of a pull rod.

Figures 13 to 17, inclusive, show a lock releasing lever 31 of a formespecially suitable for actuation by a rotating rod 38 extending to theside of the car and provided at its outer end with a handle 39 whichpulls up and out through an arc when actuated to effect an uncouplingoperation. This release lever 31, like the release lever 3|, ispivotally mounted beneath the coupler upon the pivot pin 29. It providesan arm 40 from which a pin 4| extends upwardly through the arcuate slot34 in the bottom wall of the coupler head and into the recess 35 of thesliding coupler lock I, these details of construction being similar tofeatures heretofore described with reference to Figures 1 to 1 of thedrawings. The actuating arm 42 of this release lever is preferablycurved rearwardly, and it is adapted to be rotated by the rotatableuncoupling rod or lever 38, the latter being for that purpose providedwith a bent inner end forming a downwardly extending arm Cil 43 whichoverlaps the rear face of the lever arm 42. The inner end of theuncoupling rod or lever 38 is rotatably supported in an elongated loop44 which is cast integrally with the lower Wall of the coupler head atthe knuckle side of the latter, and forms a support and fulcrum for theinner end of the uncoupling lever. A suitable form of bracket forsupporting the outer end of the uncoupling lever 38 is disclosed in theMiliken Patent No. 1,507,244, Sept. 2, 1924, After the outer end of thelever has been positioned in the bracket it is impossible for the innerend thereof to become disconnected from the coupler head.

Figures 18 to 20, inclusive, illustrate the coupler as equipped with aform of lock releasing lever 45 which is well adapted to permit acornpletely fitted coupler to be carried in the baggage car or tool boxcompartment of the train for emergency use. This form of horizontallyrotatable lock releasing lever is formed with an arm 46 at the outer endof which is a handle portion 4l. About midway of itslength the arm 46 isfashioned with an upwardly extending portion terminating in a pin 48which projects through the arcuate slot 34 in the bottom wall of thecoupler head and enters the recess in the sliding coupler lock I I. Therelease lever 45 is pivotally mounted on the pin 29. To prevent thepossibility of the lock releasing levers 3|, 3l and 45, respectively,being clamped tight between the lower headed end of the pin 29 and theunderface of the coupler head when the nut 48 at the upper end of thepivot pin is tightened, the lower end of the pin is somewhat enlarged indiameter, as indicated at 50, to thereby form an upwardly facingshoulder which, by coming into contactI with the coupler head, insuresfreedom of rotary movement for the lock releasing lever.

In assembling the coupler the lock II, spring 2D, spring seat 2I, andthe attached link or bar 24, and knuckle-opener I5 are rst assembled asa unit. This is accomplished by rst inserting the spring 20 into theopening or pocket I8 of the lock and then placing the spring seat 2l in`position. 'I'he spring 2U is then compressed until. the hole 22 in thespring seat overlaps the rear ends of the top and bottom walls I9 of thecoupler lock for a distance suicient to permit the vertically extendingpintle or linger 23 of the connecting link 24 to be inserted through thetopslot of the lock, into the hole in the spring seat, and into thebottom slot of the lock. As so as sembled these parts may be placed as aunit in. their working position by passing them through. the throat oropening in the front face of thek coupler head. The assembling operationis completed by placing in position the form of release lever that is tobe employed, passing thebolt or pivot pin therethrough and through thepivot pin opening in the knuckle-opener I5, and nally applying the nut49.

When the lock releasing lever, 3l, 31, or 45, as: the case may be, iscaused to perform an unlock ing rotation, the upwardly extending pinwith which it is provided forces the lock II rearward-- ly towardunlocked position. As the spring seat 2l, which is connected to theknuckle opener I5v by the link or bar 24, cannot retreat until theunlocking movement of the lock has progressed far enough to free theknuckle 4 for outward. rotation, this unlocking movement of the lock IIeffects a compression of the spring 20. When the lock Il has movedrearwardly far enough to lock the knuckle the spring 2l] expands,forcing the spring seat 2| rearwardly. The rearward movement of thespring seat, by pulling upon the link 24 which is pivotally connected tothe knuckle opening lever I5, causes the latter to retreat and therebythrows the knuckle 4 to open position, the parts at the end of thatoperation assuming the position illustrated in Figure 5.

During a closing movement of the knuckle 4 the tail 8 of the knucklepresses against the arm 26 of the knuckle opener I5 causing the latterto rotate. This rotation of the knuckle opener pulls the link 24 andspring seat 2| forwardly, thereby compressing the spring 2|] between thespring seat and the lock. During the closing movement of the knuckle thelock I I engages the rear end of the tail 8 of the knuckle and as soonas the knuckle is fully closed the spring 20 immediately forces the lockII to locked position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: l. A car coupler involvinga coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, a lock forsaid knuckle .adapted to move rearwardly to unlocked position, ahorizontally rotatable knuckle-opener lever pivotally mounted on saidhead, a spring acting upon said lock, a spring seat for said springmovable with respect to said lock, said spring being interposed betweensaid spring seat and said lock, and a link pivotally connected to saidknuckle-opener lever and said spring seat and adapted to communicatemovement from said spring seat to said knuckle-openler lever.

2. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a lock for said knuckle adapted to move rearwardly tounlocked position, horizontally rotatable means for opening saidknuckle, a spring for moving said lock to locked position, a link, aspring seat interposed between said link and spring and mov- .able withrespect to said lock and link, said spring being operatively interposedbetween said lock `and said spring seat and being adapted to cause aknuckle opening rotation of said knuckle open- .'ing means, androtatable lock releasing means for moving said lock to unlockedposition, lsaid link being connected to said knuckle-opening means :andto said spring seat, and said knuckle open- :ing means and said lockreleasing means being mounted on the coupler head and having a com- :monpivotal axis.

3. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a hori- :zontally slidable lock for said knuckle adaptedto move rearwardly to unlocked position, a horifzontally rotatableknuckle-opener pivotally :mounted upon said head, a spring compressibleby an unlocking movement of said lock, a spring seat for said springmovable with respect to said lock, and a link device operativelyinterposed between said spring and said knuckle-opener and pivotallyconnected to the latter and to said .spring seat.

4. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a .knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a hori- :zontally slidable lock for said knuckle, a hori-:zontally rotatable knuckle-opener lever, a spring ifor moving said lockto locked position, a spring .seat for said spring movable with respectto said ilock, said spring being interposed between said lock and saidspring seat, a link device interposed 'between and pivotally connectedto said spring :seat and said knuckle-opener lever, and means :formoving said lock to unlocked position.

5. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a slidable lock for said knuckle adapted to moverearwardly to unlocked position, a horizontally rotatable knuckle-openerlever pivotally mounted on said head, said knuckle-opener lever havingan 5 arm extending over said lock for preventing upward movement of thelatter, a spring for moving said lock to locked position, means actuatedby said spring for causing rotation of said knuckle-opener lever, saidmeans being pivotally l connected to said arm, and means for moving saidlock to unlocked position.

6. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a lock for said knuckle adapted to move rearwardly to lunlocked position, a horizontally rotatable knuckle-opener leverpivotally mounted on said head and having an arm extending over saidlock for preventing upward movement of the latter, a spring acting atits. forward end against said lock, and means actuated by said springfor rotating said knuckle-opener lever, said means extending forwardlyfrom the rear end of said spring to said arm and being movably attachedto the latter.

'7. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a lock for said knuckle adapted to move rearwardly tounlocked position, a horizontally rotatable knuckle-opener leverpivotally mounted upon said head, a spring acting upon said lock, aspring seat for said spring slidably mounted on said lock, and a linkdevice pivotally connected to said spring seat and said knuckle-openerlever, said lock being provided with an elongated slot, said spring seathaving a pivot pin opening, and said link device being provided with apivot pin which projects through said slot into said opening.

8. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a slidable lock for said knuckle adapted to moverearwardly to unlocked position, said lock being provided with arearwardly opening pocket and having adjacent its rear end a slotcommunicating with said pocket, a spring disposed within the pocket ofsaid lock, a spring seat slidably mounted within said pocket and againstwhich said spring bears, means movably connected to said spring seat andsaid knuckle-opener, said means including a pln projecting through saidslot and engaging said spring seat, and means for moving said lock tounlocked position.

9. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a horizontally slidable lock for said knuckle adapted tomove rearwardly to unlocked position, a horizontally rotatableknuckle-opener lever pivotally mounted on said head, a spring for movingsaid lock to locked position, a spring seat cooperating with saidspring, and a link operatively interposed between said spring and saidknuckle-opener lever and pivotally connected to said spring seat, saidhead being provided on its interior with a bearing surface forsupporting said lock, said bearing surface being disposed transverselyopposite the portion of said lock which engages said knuckle when thecoupler is locked.

10. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a slidable lock for said knuckle adapted to moverearwardly to vunlocked position, said head being provided withlaterally spaced surfaces forming guides for said lock, a horizontallyrotatable knuckle-opener lever pivotally mounted on said head and havingan arm extending over said lock for preventing upward movement of thelatter, a spring for moving said lock to unlocked position, a springseat for said spring movable with respect to said lock, and a linkextending between and pivotally connected to said arm and said springseat.

ll. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mountedon said head, a slidable` lock for said knuckle adapted to moverearwardly to unlocked position, a horizontally rotatable knuckle-openerlever pivotally mounted on said head and having an arm extending oversaid lock to limit upward movement of the latter, a spring for movingsaid lock to locked position, means operatively interposed between saidknuckle-openeri lever and spring for rotating said knuckle-opener lever,said means being movable with respect to said knuckle-opener lever, alock releasing member positioned beneath the coupler head and having aportion engaging said lock to move .the latter to unlocked position, anda pivot pin forming a pivotal mounting for said lock releasing memberand for said knuckle-opener lever.

WILLIAM J. REGAN.

